Government confirms Sackville’s excellent exam results

The government has confirmed how well our year 11 students performed last year with the first release of its performance tables. These show we have achieved the the much sought-after ‘above average‘ classification, placing us in the top 15% of schools.

This is based on our ‘Progress 8‘ score of 0.39, showing that nearly one in every two GCSE grades last summer was a full grade higher than those achieved by similar students in other schools.

We knew how hard our 16 year-olds worked last year; we are delighted to see this confirmed by these official figures.

U14 netballers taste success

Our U14 netball team is shaping up to become one of the strongest we have had. The promise shown in years 7 and 8 is now coming to fruition. On Friday October 19th, the team were invited to celebrate their extraordinary success at the Sussex pool of the netball nationals the previous weekend. Enjoying juice and a snack with Mr Grant, they told of how they they finished third at the competition, the highest placing for a state school.

Well done to our gymnasts and dancers!

Our gymnasts and dancers, mainly from years 7-9, but with some elite performers from year 10, did us proud at our annual gym and dance display. This always shows Sackville at its best, with so many young people happy to get onto the floor and give it a go.

There was real talent on display, and originality too in the routines and dances the students themselves had choreographed. A great way to round off the end of an energetic first half term of the year. Well done to everyone and thank-you to the parents and carers who came along to support.

U14s and U19s shine at the Netball Nationals

Two of our netball teams performed out of their skins at the regional heats of the Netball Nationals in Brighton. The U19s finished fourth in their group, and were very unlucky not to have come higher, with two very narrow defeats denting their chances. We were particularly pleased since the team included several players playing up a year or more.

Meanwhile, the U14s were the only state school to make the semis in their pool. Getting there required a victory over Ardingly. In the semi-final they were only defeated 9-12 by Brighton College.

Well done to all the players, and a special thanks to Mrs Sands and Mrs Richards for giving up a Saturday to take the teams.

Sackville come a narrow second in annual Adam Dabell Memorial Fixture

Thursday 11 October saw the annual Adam Dabell Memorial Football Match between Imberhorne and Sackville at the ground of East Grinstead Town FC. A decent crowd saw a high quality game, which this year Imberhorne edged 2-0, despite a number of chances for Sackville.

The point of the game of course is to commemorate Adam Dabell, an ex-Sackville student, who died suddenly after playing football due to an undiagnosed heart condition, and to raise awareness of this possibility in all young people.

It was a privilege to watch the players from both schools approach the game in the right spirit. Sackville will be back in 2019 keen to win back the trophy.

Thanks to Mr Watson, Mr Endersby and Mr Currie for organising the game, and to all the spectators who came out to enjoy it.

Our next set of sports leaders takes shape

Day one of the training is complete for our next set of year 10 sports leaders. Enjoying a spectacular summer-like day at Blackland Farm, twelve of our new year 10s were put through their paces by Mrs Currie. They are learning essential leadership skills which they will put into practice both at Sackville and in surrounding primary schools. Their training will eventually lead to the achievement of the Junior Sports Leader Award (JSLA).

Later this academic year these fine young people will ensure the smooth running of events such as Primary Area Sports, the Primary Stoolball Competition, and sports days at several of our feeder schools.

The JSLA programme is an important part of our student leadership activity; we look forward to seeing these young people in action soon. Well done to them all.

Health and Social Care – we couldn’t do it without our community

Last week was a busy one for our health and social care students. Firstly our year 9 students benefitted from a visit from two wonderful toddlers (relatives of the students); the topic of child development came alive!

Meanwhile our sixth formers were back at the amazing Chailey Heritage School where their work with the students forms part of the level 3 assessment for the course.

It’s safe to say that these real-world experiences are what makes the subject so popular. We’d like to thank our local community for their support in making health and social care the success that it is.

Sackville at the double

In a reversal of last year’s results, Sackville rugby teams won both the memorial games against Imberhorne held at the Rugby Club on Thursday 4 October. The U16s play for the Barry Newman Cup, and the U14s for the Chris Cooney Cup. Barry Newman was a longstanding head of PE at Imberhorne. Chris Cooney was a sport-loving Sackville student who sadly passed away in his final year at school.

Rugby was Chris’ passion, and both the efforts put in by all four teams and the spirit in which the games were played would have made him proud.

The Sackville Community at its best

Friday 28th September saw two events that showed the Sackville community at its best. First off was a mega-cake sale, organised by Mrs Thomson, in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support, a charity close to the hearts of a number of staff and students at the school. An amazing array of cakes was cooked ready for the sale. By the end of lunch there was nothing left to sell, and an amazing £450 had been raised. A job very well-done, leaving many satisfied customers (some of whom are pictured here with Mrs Thomson).

After school the annual Paul Keenor Memorial Rugby Game was played between our first XV and a team of old boys. This match is always a competitve one, befitting the young man in whose memory it is played. Firefighter and ex-student Paul lost his life in a road accident responding to an emergency call three summers ago. He would have been pleased that the old boys, made up of so many of his friends, won the game again this year. Pictured here are the players and Paul’s sister Poppy, who organised the BBQ and raffle to raise money for Paul’s two young sons.